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NCAA Rule Interpretations: Recruiting/Contact Information
Oct. 8, 2001 Periodically, the University of Louisville will be posting NCAA rules interpretations on a variety of topics. All interpretations previously posted can be found in the Archives.
Toll-Free
Telephone Calls to a Coach's Residence (I) Interpretation: It is not permissible for an institutional coaching staff member to have a toll-free telephone line established at his or her residence for the purpose of receiving telephone calls initiated by prospects. [References: Bylaw 13.1.3.6 (collect and toll-free telephone calls) and 13.16.2.2 (collect and toll-free telephone calls)} Student-Athletes
Receiving Benefits Subsequent to Exhausting Eligibility (I) Interpretation: It is permissible for a former student-athlete to receive a benefit of nominal value (e.g., meal, ride, overnight lodging) on an occasional basis from an institutional athletics representative or institutional staff members, provided the institution is not engaged in recruiting any relative of the former student-athlete. [References: NCAA Bylaws 13.2.1 (general regulation), NCAA Bylaws 16.02.3 (extra-benefit) and 16.12.2.1 (general rule) and a 1/6/89 official interpretation, Item No. 2-f-1] Definition
of week for purposes of recruiting legislation Interpretation: e. Definition of Week for Purposes of Recruiting Legislation: For purposes of Bylaw 13 (recruiting), a one-week period is defined as 12:01 a.m. Sunday to midnight Saturday. [References: 13.1.2.4-(b) (telephone contact), 13.1.4 (visit to prospect's educational institution)] [This staff minute replaces Item No. 1-e of the September 2, 1987, staff minutes, which now has been archived in the legislative services data base] Telephoning
a prospective student-athlete during a member institution's contest Interpretation: a. Telephoning a Prospective Student-Athlete During a Member Institution's Contest: Reviewed NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.4-(a) [institutional staff members] and 1991 NCAA Convention Proposal No. 20-D (recruiting -- telephone calls and contacts), which stipulates that staff members in Divisions I and II shall not telephone a prospective student-athlete during the conduct of any of the institution's intercollegiate athletics contest in that sport, determined that a member institution's staff member would be prohibited from calling a prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete's parents or legal guardians) from the time the member institution's team has taken the field or court for pregame activities and extending until the time the team departs the field or court at the conclusion of the contest. Prohibition
against transportation that exceeds normal standard Interpretation: Reviewed a previous Council-approved interpretation indicating that the provisions of Bylaw 1-9-(j)-(3) prohibit a member institution from providing transportation for prospective student-athletes through the use of a helicopter or limousine, inasmuch as these modes of transportation exceed the normal standard of automobile and commercial air transportation, and would represent excessive entertainment of a prospective student-athlete, concluded that for purposes of this interpretation, a limousine is defined as a vehicle that contains luxuries normally not associated with an automobile (e.g., a bar, television), may have more extensive seating room than a normal automobile and may involve the services of a chauffeur. Contacts/telephone
calls Interpretation: 7. Telephone contacts. Reviewed the provisions of Bylaws 13.1.2.4-(b), which indicate that institutional staff members (subsequent to July 1 following the prospect's completion of the junior year in high school) may not telephone a prospect (or the prospect's parents or legal guardians) more than once per week, 13.1.2.4-(b)-(1), which indicate that institutional staff members may accept collect telephone calls placed by a prospective student-athlete, provided such calls are placed not earlier than July 1 following the completion of the prospect's junior year in high school, and a previous Council decision [reference: Item No. 9-a-(13) of the minutes of the Council's April 16, 1991, meeting] and determined the following:
Permissible
Number of Contacts for Multisport Athletes Interpretation: b. Permissible Number of Contacts for Multisport Athletes. (I/II) The membership services staff confirmed that the maximum number of permissible off-campus contacts used by an institution for a multisport prospective student-athlete may not exceed the specific limit set forth in Bylaw 13.1.7 for the particular sport. For example, if an institution's football coach and track coach contact a prospect, the institution would use only one institutional contact, however, the track coach may not engage in more than three off-campus contacts, even if the coach is making a contact on the same day as the football coach. Further, if the football coach already has contacted the prospect on six occasions, the track coach would only have one remaining contact. [References: 13.1.5.1.4 (multiple sport athlete), 13.1.7 (permissible number of contacts) and Official interpretation, 3/02/89, item 8] Permissible
Number of Recruiting Opportunities for a Prospect Being Recruited in More Than
One Sport (Sports Other than Football) (I) Interpretation: Permissible
Number of Recruiting Opportunities for a Prospect Being Recruited in More Than
One Sport (Sports Other than Football): Counting
contacts utilized during the same day and the same category Interpretation: Contacts Coaching
Staff Member Sending Facsimile to Prospect's Hotel During an Athletics Event Interpretation: 2.It is permissible for a coaching staff member to send a facsimile to a prospect while the prospect is participating in an athletic event, provided the facsimile is sent directly to prospect (e.g., the front-desk of the hotel, the prospect's personal fax machine) and there is no additional party (e.g., camp employee, coach) involved in disseminating the correspondence. [References: Bylaws 13.1.7.2 (practice or competition site) and 13.4.1 (printed recruiting materials)] Verbal
Contact at Site of Prospect's Competition-Related Activity Interpretation: Verbal Contact at Site of Prospect's Competition-Related Activity. The subcommittee reviewed issues related to recruiting contact at a practice or competition site and determined the following:
Contacts
at practice or competition site in individual sports Interpretation: 3. Contacts at practice or competition site in individual sports: It is not permissible for an institutional staff member to make contact with a prospect once the prospect reports on call (at the direction of the prospect's coach or comparable authority) on the day or days prior to an individual competition. [Reference: 13.1.6.2-(b) (practice or competition site)] Contact
with a prospective student-athlete at his or her home during a tournament in
which the prospect competes Interpretation: The legislative services staff confirmed that it is permissible for an institution's coach to contact a prospective student-athlete who is competing in a tournament that is not conducted on consecutive days, and who subsequently will return to compete in the remainder of the tournament provided the prospective student-athlete has been released by the appropriate institutional authority, and the contact occurs on a day in which there is no further competition. (NOTE: This minute clarifies the 03/20/91 staff minutes, Item No. 1-a, which has now been archived.) [References: NCAA Bylaws 13.02.2 (competition site) and 13.1.7.2 (practice or competition site)] Observations
of practices held in conjunction with a tier of a tournament Interpretation: e. Observations of Practices Held in Conjunction With a Tier of a Tournament: Reviewed Bylaws 13.1.6.2 (practice or competition site) and 13.1.6.2.1 (approved events) and determined that a member institution's coach would not have to count practice activities associated with a tournament involving prospective student-athletes as a separate evaluation, provided the teams have reported to the tournament site, and all practice activities are held at the site in conjunction with the tournament. Contact
with Prospective Student-Athlete in Conjunction with an On-Campus Athletics
Event Interpretation: When a prospective student-athlete being recruited in the sport of football or basketball participates in an athletics contest or event (including a noninstitutional, private camp or clinic) on a member institution's campus outside of a contact period, it is not permissible for an authorized institutional staff member to have contact with the prospect until the calendar day following his or her release from the competition. The subcommittee noted that NCAA Bylaw 13.1.7.2.2 is designed to prohibit contact in conjunction with campus events conducted outside a contact period and, thus, the prospect must depart the locale of the institution before returning the following day. Further, if a prospect is visiting an institution's campus immediately before participating in an athletics contest or event on the institution's campus, the prospect must depart the locale of the institution the calendar day before the contest or event. [Reference: Bylaw 13.1.7.2.2 (athletics events outside contact period)] |
